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Meningitis

Mrs. Ann Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths have resulted from meningitis in each health district of West Yorkshire in each year since 1990. [3696]

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Mr. Horam: The information is shown in the table.

The deaths data up to 1992 for England and Wales represent the number of deaths registered for each year while deaths from 1993 represent the number of deaths which occurred in each year. Also, new procedures for coding cause of death from 1993, and the absence of medical inquiries, mean that figures for 1993 onwards may not be exactly comparable with earlier years. For most conditions however, including all meningitis, these effects are small. More details may be found in "OPCS Series DH2" for 1993, which was published in October 1995; copies of which are available in the Library.

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Deaths from meningitis in each local authority district in West Yorkshire, 1990-1994

BradfordCalderdaleKirkleesLeedsWakefield
199031340
1991433103
199281253
199371372
199453321

Information is not available at district health authority level. (ICD codes for Meningitis are 013.0, 036.0, 047.0, 047.1, 047.8, 047.9, 049.0, 049.1, 053.0, 0.72.1, 091,8, 094.2, 320, 322).


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Prescriptions

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what fee appliance contractors get for the provision of an appliance under the NHS; what fee a pharmacist gets for the provision of a similar appliance under NHS provision; what consideration has been given to altering the system; and if he will make a statement. [3612]

Mr. Malone: Appliance contractors are paid between 15.8 per cent. and 25 per cent. of the cost of the appliance depending on the volume dispensed plus a fee of between 2p and 78p depending of the type of appliance. Pharmacy contractors are paid a basic fee of either 85p or 94.6p plus and additional fee of between 69p and £1.97, according to the type of appliance and its cost. Pharmacy contractors can also be paid a professional allowance once they reach a monthly threshold of prescriptions dispensed and an additional fee for every expensive items. The Department keeps these systems of payment under review.

Tobacco Advertising

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by the tobacco industry on advertising by means of (a) press advertising, (b) outdoors (billboard) advertising, (c) shop front and point of sale advertising and (d) direct mail in 1994-95. [3981]

Mr. Horam: Information provided by the tobacco industry to assist in monitoring the voluntary agreement on tobacco products advertising and promotion is commercial in confidence.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has carried out into the effects of the voluntary agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship. [3978]

Mr. Horam: The Committee for Monitoring Agreements on Tobacco Adverting and Sponsorship-- COMATAS--was established to monitor both the voluntary agreement on tobacco products' advertising and promotion and the voluntary agreement on sponsorship of sport by tobacco companies in the United Kingdom. This committee reports annually on the progress and operation

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of the voluntary agreements. The eighth report of COMATAS was published on 18 July this year, and copies are available in the Library.

Private Finance Initiative

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the documents agreeing the type and level of service to be provided by the healthcare group under the PFI to South Buckinghamshire NHS trust. [4082]

Mr. Horam: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) on 4 December at columns 43-44.

Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much capital expenditure is forecast to be included in the private finance initiative for the current financial year and the next five financial years. [3827]

Mr. Horam: I refer the hon. Member to table 6.5 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1996-97" which was laid before the House on 28 November 1995.

Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each scheme so far agreed under the private finance initiative (a) capital and (b) revenue costs to public funds (i) under the PFI and (iii) estimated to have been incurred had the scheme been funded wholly within the public sector. [3815]

Mr. Horam: The private finance initiative will further develop our excellent record of co-operation with the private sector and ensure new national health service capital schemes are provided promptly and run efficiently, for the benefit of all NHS patients. Before any PFI scheme with significant expenditure consequences for the NHS is approved, a business case is produced a demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of the proposal and assess the public spending implications. Approval to PFI schemes is given only if the business case demonstrates that a PFI approach increases the cost-effectiveness of the scheme for the NHS and if any expenditure implications are affordable to NHS purchasers. The specific information requested is not available centrally.

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Oral Contraceptives

Mrs. Bridget Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the difference in cost to the NHS between the licensed morning-after pill and the pharmacologically equivalent oral contraceptive; and if he will make a statement. [4106]

Mr. Malone: Information on the prices of oral contraceptives, including the morning-after pill, is in the latest edition of "British National Formulary", copies of which are available in the Library.

NHS Trusts

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many executive directors of NHS trusts received annual salaries of more than £90,000 and £100,000 in (a) 1993-94, (b) 1994-95 and (c) 1995-96; and if he will list each trust giving an annual salary of more than £100,000 to its executive directors in each of these years. [4458]

Mr. Malone: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave her on 28 November at column 604.

Chiropody

Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when an announcement will be made regarding access by state registered chiropodists to a restricted group of prescription only medicines, following the submission of proposals by the chiropodists' board of the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine earlier this year. [3279]

Mr. Bowis: This proposal is currently being considered.

Draft Medicines Advice Leaflet "MAL 8"

Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on what date the revised medicines advice leaflet, "MAL 8" draft 3, dated 30 October, was forwarded to (a) the British Herbal Medicine Association and (b) the Society for the Promotion of Nutritional Therapy; and if he will make a statement on the treatment of these organisations in respect of his policy regarding consultation with the Society for the Promotion of Nutritional Therapy; [4114]

Mr. Malone: The Medicines Control Agency-- MCA--has discussed the contents of Leaflet MAL 8 with the Aromatherapy Trades Council--ATC--the British Herbal Manufacturers' Association--BHMA--the Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association--CTPA-- the Council for Responsible Nutrition--CRN--the Health Food Manufacturers' Association--HFMA--the Natural Medicines Association UK Ltd.--NMA--and the Proprietary Association of Great Britain--PAGB.

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The MCA met the ATC, BHMA, CTPA, HFMA, NMA and PAGB on 6 September and again, with the exception of the CTPA, on 19 September. The agency met the CRN on 5 October, and the HFMA for a third time on 21 November.

"MAL 8" provides non-statutory guidance to industry and trade associations on whether a product is medicinal. The draft of "MAL 8" dated 30 October was sent on 6 November to the BHMA and other manufacturers' trade associations. It was not sent to the Society for the Promotion of Nutritional Therapy--SPNT--or to other non-manufacturing bodies. The SPNT is amongst those organisations which would be consulted by the MCA on statutory issues.


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